20 September 2019 at 12:00 am

Letter from the CE: Kia kaha te Reo Māori


Last week, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori language week, was an important reminder for us all that Te Reo Māori is a core part of who we are as New Zealanders, and what makes Aotearoa unique.  

With this in mind, I am delighted to share Education New Zealand’s new Māori name: Manapou ki te Ao 

Manapou means supporting and sustaining life, which allows growth and progression, while ki te Ao means to the world. Nourishing and empowering, a New Zealand education enables students to flourish and creates the world’s next generation of problem solvers.  

Manapou ki te Ao encompasses the Māori principles of manaakitanga (the caring and valuing of others), kaitiakitanga (carer and guardianship of the environment and resources), whakawhanaungatanga (process of establishing meaningful relationships through cultural respect, connectedness and engagement) and aroha.   

Our new name reflects Education New Zealand’s role in growing and supporting the international education sector – ensuring all students can thrive and share their skills and knowledge with the world.  

Many international students find their experience of Māori language and culture a highlight of their time in Aotearoa. One example is Hailey Suinaof the Cochiti Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico, who won a $15,000 Education New Zealand and Go Overseas scholarship to spend a semester studying at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). 

The name’s development has been a rewarding journey. It will become part of ENZ’s corporate logo, and you will see it more and more over the next few months. Even more importantly, it will underpin everything we do. And we want you to feel ownership of it too. Please share our new name with your whānau, colleagues and friends.  

Ko ngā tini aho o te tukutuku whakaniko i te hinengaro  

Me tuitui ki te tūmatakahuki mātauranga o te ao 

The many strands of knowledge that embellish the mind 

are woven upon a lattice of global education.  

- Nā Rahera Shortland 

Other things to keep an eye out for over the next few weeks are the ENZ international events calendar for 2020, the NZeTA: a new requirement for travellers to New Zealand, and ENZ’s first global campaign following our brand refresh: 'Ask New Anything’. You can read more about the campaign in this issue of E-News.   

Ngā mihi 

Grant McPherson

KaihautūManapou ki te Ao 

Chief Executive, Education New Zealand

Grant McPherson5

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